Festive pops dipped in vibrant colors, perfect for celebrating accomplishment with a sweet, personal touch.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Base
01 - 1 box (15 oz) vanilla or chocolate cake mix, plus eggs, oil, and water as directed on box
02 - OR 1 homemade 9-inch vanilla or chocolate cake, fully cooled
→ Frosting
03 - 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting
→ Coating and Decoration
04 - 12 oz candy melts in school colors or white chocolate with food coloring
05 - 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (optional, for thinning chocolate)
06 - Sprinkles, edible glitter, or colored sugar in coordinating colors
07 - 24 lollipop sticks
08 - 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
09 - Fondant in school colors (optional, for cap decorations)
# How to Make:
01 - Bake vanilla or chocolate cake according to package or homemade recipe instructions. Let cool completely before proceeding.
02 - Place cooled cake in a large bowl and crumble into fine crumbs using your hands or a fork.
03 - Add cream cheese or buttercream frosting to the cake crumbs. Mix together thoroughly with a spatula or hands until the mixture is moist and holds its shape. Do not overmix; add just enough frosting to bind.
04 - Scoop out tablespoon portions of the mixture and roll into 24 even balls. Arrange the balls onto a lined baking sheet.
05 - Cover and refrigerate the cake balls for at least 1 hour or freeze for 20 minutes until firm.
06 - Melt candy melts or white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until completely smooth. If needed, stir in vegetable shortening to achieve a fluid consistency.
07 - Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into the melted coating, then insert halfway into each cake ball to secure.
08 - Hold each pop by the stick and dip entirely into the melted coating. Gently tap off excess for a smooth finish.
09 - Immediately decorate pops with sprinkles, colored sugar, or edible glitter. For graduation cap design, top each pop with a fondant square and affix a mini chocolate chip as a tassel using a dab of melted chocolate.
10 - Stand pops upright in a Styrofoam block or cake pop stand. Allow the coating to fully harden before serving or packaging.
